This database has been created primarily by the ESP data manager Steven Paton and ESP botanist Osvaldo Calderon. It is our intent to provide a visual database of the plant species being studied by the ESP plant program at BCI, Gigante Peninsula, and the two crane sites at Parque Natural Metropolitano and Ft. Sherman. The data base attempts to includes all reproductive parts and leaves for each species. In addition to the species currently studied by the ESP plant program, the data base also includes many other species found in the areas of study.

Please note that
this photo database reflects how the ESP plant program classifies reproductive parts and, as a result, the designation of phenophases may not be botanically correct in all cases. For example, for a species with very small buds and flowers it may not be possible or practical to distinguish between buds and flowers that have closed after opening - therefore all buds and flowers might be called flowers for that species. Other examples include the transition from immature to mature fruit - the moment that a fruit becomes truely mature may be subjective.

Whenever an image is used in publication, it must be credited to the Environmental Sciences Program, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. You should also inform the data manager Steven Paton what image(s) have been used and the citation information of the publication.

Please help us: Please send any suggestions of revision, updates, photographs, or data you would like to have included in the database to Steven Paton: patons@si.edu or to Osvaldo Calderon: calderono@si.edu.

Click here to download a list of species that we are currently looking for. If you would like to bring us a plant sample, please include leaves with the sample whenever possible - they will make it easier to confirm the identity of the sample. Bring samples either to Steven Paton (Tupper), Raúl Ríos or Osvaldo Calderón (BCI).
Disclaimer: This is a work in progress. The plant photos are primarily of woody stemmed plants from BCI and the Ft. Sherman and Parque Metropolitano crane sites. We estimate that we currently have images from over 60% of all woody stemmed plants from these areas (> 45% of all reproductive parts and leaves). While we have made every effort to correctly identify all images, some mis-identifications may exists. If you believe that you have identified such a mistake please contact Steven Paton. Thank you.

We would like to especially thank the assistance of STRI herbarium staff for their invaluable assistance with species identifications, and for suggestions which significantly increased the scientific value of the data base.